Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

Having successfully crossed the Yangtze River, the young General of the Eastern Expedition, Prince Qin, Zhuosiji, was in high spirits. His focus had shifted from simply crossing the river to eliminating as many enemies as possible. As soon as the army landed, he consulted with the veteran general Xirimo, who had come from Guazhou. "After our army crosses the river," he said, "the enemy along the banks is likely to flee. I will lead the infantry to capture cities, while the Duke will lead the cavalry to pursue the fleeing enemy along the river. What do you think?" The most mobile force in the Eastern Route Army was the 20,000-strong cavalry led by the First-Class Duke of Turpan, Xirimo. This force had lost a thousand men in the previous battle to capture the Huai River region, but now still numbered 19,000, making it his trump card.

"Your Highness, rest assured, with this old minister here, those sheep will not escape~" Upon hearing that there was a battle to be fought, the Oirat Wolf was overjoyed.

After receiving the military orders, the old commander immediately appointed the chieftain Tangut Erdeni and Taipeng to lead 4,000 elite Chechen cavalry as the vanguard, while he himself led 15,000 cavalry to follow closely. The Chechens lived in the harsh, cold far north, and their men were skilled horsemen and hard-working, which is why they were entrusted with the vanguard role. To make them run even faster, they were also equipped with three horses per person.

Once power is in hand, orders are issued. Having been given the command of the vanguard, Tangut Erdeni was not polite. Holding his riding whip, he triumphantly gave the order: "Without removing their armor or saddles, advance along the Yangtze River and take Jiangning directly. Ignore those cities that refuse to surrender; the only objective is to eliminate the fleeing enemy and capture Jiangning."

Looking at his arrogant uncle, another commander, Taipeng, revealed a resentful expression. Tangut Erdeni was the sixth son of Shuolei, the Chechen Khan, while Taipeng was the son of Babu, the fifth son of Shuolei Khan. By blood, they were uncle and nephew. However, when Shuolei Khan died, his sons vied for the throne, accumulating many conflicts. Although they eventually all became subjects of the David Kingdom, their relationships remained delicate. Taipeng considered himself a direct descendant of the Chechen tribe and did not particularly respect his sixth uncle.

“Fourth Brother, don’t get angry with that old man. When the battle starts, we will make more contributions and naturally be able to outdo him,” said Choktu Ahai, Tai Peng’s younger brother.

"Yes, Seventh Brother is right!" Hearing this, Tai Peng's expression softened considerably. Sometimes, internal discord doesn't necessarily lead to infighting; instead, it can ignite a fierce competition. With the Kingdom of David at its zenith, all the generals were eager to achieve more military merits and gain rewards, which to some extent masked the internal conflicts.

To compete with their uncle for credit, upon receiving the military order, the brothers Taipeng and Choktuahai led their two thousand troops at breakneck speed, leaving Tangut Erdene far behind. Tangut Erdene, both ashamed and agitated, could only urge his men to run faster and faster. The entire army sped from Huogang to Sanshangang. The Wu army defending the port, having learned of the fall of Banziji and Digang, had already scattered. Sanshan was captured without bloodshed. From Sanshan, the army marched towards Wuhu. The Wuhu magistrate and garrison, seeing the mighty David cavalry swaggering outside the city, dared not fight and obediently raised their surrender flag.

"Tell the vanguard to run faster! Faster!" The Wolf of Oirat had fought his whole life and judged from the battle report from the front that the Wu army in Dangtu was most likely trying to escape, so he immediately issued the order.
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"The false Khan has forced his way across Banziji? Wang Yuncheng and Chen Xuan are dead?" Liu Chengyin, the general of Taiping Town, was speechless with shock upon hearing this news. He had already intercepted the garrison at the foot of Cuiluo Mountain and was about to report the victory to Lang Tingzuo when this devastating news arrived!
Having been through many battles, he quickly realized the dangerous situation he was in and summoned Lieutenant General Dong Xiong: "Brother Dong, how has this town treated you?"

"The General treats me like a brother," Dong Xiong replied without hesitation.

“Alas! I just received news that the main force of the Wei army landed at Banziji, and Wang Yuncheng and Chen Xuan were killed in battle. Cuiluoshan is no longer defensible, and we must evacuate immediately. However, retreating from the front lines is not an easy task, and we need a bold and meticulous general to cover the rear for a safe retreat.” After saying this, Liu Chengyin quietly looked at Dong Xiong.

"I am willing to serve as the rearguard of the general, but I still have young children at home," Dong Xiong said through gritted teeth.

"Don't worry, my dear brother. If anything happens, your son will be my son too," Liu Chengyin assured him, patting his chest.

After discussing the matter, the two decided to leave Cuiluo Mountain under cover of night. Liu Chengyin led 10,000 men to retreat first, while Dong Xiong led 3,000 men to cover the rear. Facing imminent disaster, they didn't even bother to inform the local officials, including the prefect of Taiping, Hu Jiying, to flee together. The next morning, the guards discovered that Cuiluo Mountain was completely deserted. Having captured Cuiluo Mountain without a fight after a long siege, Yang Laijia, suspicious, sent men to inquire about the situation. Upon learning the truth, he immediately dispatched his deputy Xu Zhen to garrison Caishiji while he personally led a large army to attack Dangtu. At this time, Dangtu City had no guards except for 500 city garrison troops. Upon hearing the news, the prefect of Taiping, Hu Jiying, was filled with bitterness and, together with the magistrate of Dangtu County, Ge Yuanfu, opened the city gates and surrendered to the guards.

"So you are the Prefect of Taiping?" Yang Laijia asked Hu Jiying arrogantly from his horse.

"It is indeed your humble servant," Hu Jiying replied meekly.

"Quickly prepare food to reward the soldiers. If you are treated well, I will spare your punishment," Yang Laijia said with a sneer.

"Yes, yes, I have prepared wine and food in the city. Please, General." Hu Jiying bowed and invited.

Just as Yang Laijia was about to enter the city, he suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves outside. It was Tangut Erdeni and Taipeng leading two thousand cavalrymen. Vice Admiral Yang was a man of many experience, and upon seeing the army's attire, he knew it was a genuine Mongol army. He led his men to block their path and asked with a smile, "May I ask which general is coming?"

"I am Tai Peng, the Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Expedition and His Highness Prince Qin. Who are you?" the leading general asked coldly. Hearing this, Yang Laijia was overjoyed. "So it's Commander-in-Chief Tai Peng! I am Yang Laijia, the Deputy Governor of Huguang. I was ordered to land at Caishi and lead my troops to Wuhu to join His Highness. Your presence here suggests His Highness has already landed. May I ask where the army is now?"

"After His Highness landed at Banziji, he successively captured Huogang, Sanshan, and Fanchang. It is estimated that the main army has now reached Wuhu. His Highness has ordered us to pursue the enemy first. Quickly clear the road so as not to delay the military operation," Tai Peng said impatiently.

Seeing his resolute determination to leave, Yang Laijia quickly ordered his men to clear the way. Taipeng ignored him and led his troops away at full speed. Not long after they left, Tangut Erdeni arrived with two thousand cavalry in hot pursuit.

"Pass down the order: do not enter the city, the entire army must proceed to Wuhu!" Yang Laijia shouted suddenly.

Seeing that the guards were about to leave, Hu Jiying was startled, thinking that he had done something wrong to offend the royal army. He hurriedly stepped forward and invited them again, "A banquet has been prepared in the city, please, General!"

Before he could finish speaking, Yang Laijia interrupted him by brandishing his whip, "This town has no time for your wine! His Highness Prince Qin's army is arriving soon! Quickly prepare provisions for the troops! Go! Go!"
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Like stray dogs in panic, like fish escaping a net, General Liu Chengyin of Taiping Town led his men in a desperate escape along the official road from Dangtu to Jiangning. Gone was the spirited commander he had been when defending Cuiluo Mountain; his only thought was to escape back to Jiangning as quickly as possible. With their commander demoralized, his men fared no better. Deserters were a constant sight, and General Liu, disregarding the need for capture, kept ordering his men to run faster, faster. Trailing behind were Dong Xiong's troops, ordered to cover the rear.

"Clatter clatter~ clatter clatter~" What you fear most comes to pass; the sound of horses' hooves rises, and dust flies everywhere.

"Form ranks!" Dong Xiong sighed and calmly gave the order. He wanted to carry out the military order, but not all of his subordinates wanted to die. Seeing that Commander Dong wanted to lead everyone to form ranks to block the pursuers, some clever ones rushed to escape without a second thought. With someone taking the lead, the three thousand men followed suit, and soon half of them scattered, leaving only a thousand or so men faithfully carrying out the military order.

"Whoosh~ Whoosh~ Whoosh~" The Mongol cavalry, with just a volley of arrows, shattered the already scattered Wu army formation. The young and vigorous generals Taipeng and Choktu Ahai personally took charge of the arrows, their arrows unstoppable, and in less than half an hour, they routed Dong Xiong's troops and killed Dong Xiong in battle.

"General, Dasheng Pass is just twenty li ahead. Once we pass through the pass, we will be safe," his subordinate reported to Liu Chengyin.

Hearing that they had reached Jiangning, Liu Chengyin breathed a sigh of relief, took the water bag on his back, and gulped down the water. The taste was very sweet, and his throat, which had been burning from running, felt much better in an instant.

"Ah~" He let out a satisfied sigh and ordered his men, "Quickly, go and inform the garrison commander of Dasheng Pass to open the city gates and welcome us." Glancing at his men, whose banners were drooping and who were listless, he roared, "Quickly form ranks! Get your spirits up! Don't let Governor Lang underestimate us!" This valiant general believed the battle of Taiping Prefecture was not a failure of strategy. Who could have imagined that the main force of the Imperial Guard's forces would not be based in Jiangning, Zhenjiang, or Suzhou, but in Taiping Prefecture? The false king had amassed over 100,000 troops in Taiping Prefecture, while he only had 20,000. How could he possibly withstand them? Being able to bring his brothers back to Jiangning was already a stroke of luck!

In chaotic times, only those with troops at their disposal will be valued by their superiors and will never be held accountable for losing Taiping Prefecture. Liu Chengyin understood this principle, and believing himself safe, he regrouped his forces. Excluding Dong Xiong's rearguard, he originally had 10,000 men, but with constant desertions along the way, by this point, three-tenths had fled, leaving only 7,000!

As his men lined up in disarray, Liu Chengyin was already planning how to ask Governor Lang for money and provisions to recruit soldiers and fill vacancies after returning to Jiangning, when he heard the deafening sound of horses' hooves. Pursuing them were not only the two thousand cavalrymen of the Taipeng and Choktu Ahai brothers, but also two thousand cavalrymen led by Tangut Erdeni. This commander, unwilling to let his two nephews outdo him, had galloped all the way to catch up.

"Quickly form ranks! Block the Tartars!" Liu Chengyin's expression changed drastically as he desperately tried to get his troops into formation.

It was too late. The Chechen warriors charged into the Wu army's ranks and slashed fiercely, leaving corpses strewn across the battlefield.

Seeing that things weren't going well, Liu Chengyin disregarded the main army and led a small number of his personal guards towards Dasheng Pass. Fortunately, the garrison of Dasheng Pass had already opened the city gates after receiving the news. As soon as he entered the pass, he heard deafening battle cries behind him. It turned out that Taipeng and Choktu Ahai had also entered the pass, chasing after his horse.

"Ah!" Liu Chengyin cried out in surprise, trying to turn his horse to meet the attack. A gleaming silver spear plunged deep into his back, then twisted and ripped his intestines apart. Choktu Aha raised his spear and smiled slightly at Taipeng. Taipeng, who was holding the head of the garrison commander of Dasheng Pass, waved it at his younger brother, as if to say: Seventh brother, don't be arrogant, I have also slain an enemy general. (End of Chapter)